For many years, residents and municipalities burned their own refuse in incinerators which did not have air pollution reducing devices incorporated therein. Most local and state governments have outlawed residential burning activities due to the air pollution problems created by the burning. Instead of burning, residents now send their waste to landfills. However, currently, landfills are being filled to capacity and new landfill sites are becoming less available.
In an effort to solve the landfill problems, communities are turning to recycling and municipal incineration to dispose of refuse. However, these solutions are still in the formative stages and therefore do not provide immediate relief from the ongoing problems of waste management. The current solutions do not solve the air pollution problems associated with burning garbage, and operate at considerable low efficiency. Current incinerators require the constant input of outside air to sustain the burning process. Air is approximately 76% nitrogen which does not burn. The nitrogen, however, must be heated and constantly discharged into the atmosphere. The discharged nitrogen absorbs as much as 70% of heat generated by the burning refuse, and it picks up and carries fly ash which must be removed before the discharge into the atmosphere.
Until the pollution and efficiency problems associated with municipal, industrial and household incineration are solved, other methods are needed to relieve the landfill problems. Accordingly, there is a need for a new type of incinerator and an incineration system. Furthermore, there is a need for an incineration system which operates in a closed cycle environment, is fuel efficient, and is safe for municipal use and other uses.